I was completely out of my element.
Hermes continued for me with a smile, “. . .and Summer, this is your family.”
Family. The word struck me oddly in the chest, as though an arrow had been shot into my side, slicing through me. It sucked the breath from my lungs. I now had a family I’d never known about. A family that was more mystical than real. I didn’t take them to be the sort that would do barbeques in the park or casual reunions in the summertime.
“Allow me to introduce you.” Hermes said, offering his arm. I stared at him for a moment, trying to decide what I should do. If I even wanted to go forward with this. It didn’t seem like I had much choice now—not that I really had much of a choice to begin with. A warm hand grazed over the small of my back, and I nearly jumped. Jerking my chin quickly, I found Morpheus beside me.
“Allow me, Summer,” he said, offering me his arm.
Relief poured from me, and I instantly nodded. As he took a step forward, my eyes were drawn to his outfit. He wore a deep red jacket, adorned with gold threading and epaulets, reminding me of something that Prince Charming would have worn in a Cinderella movie. The collar was high around his neck, and underneath, he wore a shimmering black shirt with a small, golden wing broach. His real wings were tucked in carefully behind his back, making him appear almost other-worldly. He could have been a prince from another land, though I supposed he was. A Prince of the Underworld.
The first person Morpheus led me to was a beautiful woman with warm green eyes, and red hair that reached the middle of her back. She wore a long, mint green dress, with large ruby-red roses printed along the front and sides. A green feather was placed in the curls of her hair, and a long diamond necklace hung around her neck.
“This is Hestia. She is the Goddess of the Hearth,” Morpheus explained.
Hestia smiled warmly at me and gave a small nod. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Summer.”
“And this is…” Morpheus continued, gesturing to the next person beside Hestia.
“I am Tyche. Goddess of Chance and Fate,” the woman interrupted with a flash of a smile. She had sun-kissed skin, with an unbound afro that reminded me of Beyoncé; her curls framed her sleek features. She wore a deep hazel dress, heavily beaded with tiny crystals that fell straight to the floor.
“Hello,” I replied bobbing my head as I tried to quickly mentally store her name in my mind.
“And this is Apollo,” Morpheus said, gesturing to the next guest. Apollo greeted me with a bow. His golden shoulder-length hair swayed as he lifted my hand to his lips with a gleaming smile. The small line of his moustache tickled my hand, and I suppressed my nervous laugh. As he released my hand, I admired the dark grey, tweed suit he was wearing. There was a splash of color from the narrow tie around his neck.
“He is the God of the Sun,” Morpheus explained, giving a nod to the man. Apollo laughed, winking.
“Amongst other things,” Apollo said, raising a brow and smirking at Morpheus. “We welcome you, Summer, to our humble abode.” His eyes darted to another part of the deck briefly before continuing, “Or rather, Poseidon’s.”
“Thank you,” I replied, suddenly feeling flushed. My eyes darted around the deck, wondering what he had been looking at. Instead, I found myself gazing at a slew of other guests—all of which I assumed were the other Gods and Goddesses of Mount Olympus. Were they all here? How many of them did Morpheus plan to introduce me to? His hand slid to my elbow, guiding me along to the next unfamiliar face. We stopped in front of a tall, dark-skinned man who stood proud and unyielding. His hair was short, and there was a faint hint of a beard peppering his chin and cheeks. A slash of metal donned his face, as though it held the skin of his cheeks together.
“Hephaestus,” Morpheus said softly. “Or Heaton for short.”
“You can call me Heaton,” the man said to me, extending his long hand. Carefully, I took it and gave a small smile.
“Summer,” I replied.
“Welcome, Summer.”
Another woman stood beside Heaton, holding up her wine glass to the nearby stewardess. Her dark skin seemed to glisten in the sunlight, almost as if she were covered in highlight powder. Her dark eyes watched me closely as I approached. She wore a cream gown, studded with diamonds; the top crisscrossing over her chest. Small golden arrows adorned the edges of the fabric. Her hair was up in a tall bun, revealing the curve of her long neck.
“Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt,” Morpheus said.
She said nothing as she raised an amused brow before bowing in front of me.
“How many more?” I asked, leaning into Morpheus as we walked slowly to the other side of the deck.
“Just a few more,” Morpheus chuckled.
“Define more,” I sighed. Turning to glance over my shoulder, I saw Darce watching us intently. He already had a glass in his hand and was speaking softly to Hermes. As I slid my gaze back to Morpheus, I realized he was leading me closer to the main room—to where I supposed Zeus was waiting.
“I presume there will be others,” Morpheus continued. “It’s important that you greet each of them. After all, it is the first time they’re meeting you, as yourself. Better to leave a good impression than an indifferent one.”
“Is this your way of helping me?”
“I thought it better to lead you, than allow you to cower in a corner,” Morpheus replied sharply. “Or to leave you to Hermes. I know just how much you enjoy his company.” When I didn’t respond, he smiled. “I told you I’d be here to help you.”
I knew I could believe him. Morpheus had proven I could rely on him.
“Ahead is Athena,” he continued softly. “Beside her is Dionysus and Aphrodite. I believe Ares is probably inside the main cabin with Poseidon, his wife Amphitrite, Zeus and Hera. And knowing Eros, he’s off somewhere spreading his idea of love.”
“Do you mean Cupid?”
Morpheus darted his dark gaze to mine before chuckling. “Yes, Cupid.”
We stopped in front of another beautiful woman, with short brown hair. She was wearing a long, maroon dress with black beading and a bottom fringe. Around her head, she wore a black ribbon, adorned with shimmering white and black diamonds.
“Athena,” Morpheus said before lowering to a slight bow.
“It’s been too long, Morpheus,” she said, raising her brow. The small smile in the corner of her lips reflected amusement. Though, the longing in her voice was hard to miss. “Much too long. You’ve been cooped up in the Underworld for centuries. I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever see you again.”
“Here I am,” he said, flashing a smile.
“And this must be the new Persephone.” Her golden gaze met mine, as she continued to smile. The new Persephone. The words struck me in the stomach with a strange sense of dread.
“Summer,” Morpheus corrected. “This is Summer.”
“You’ve been the talk of the boat, Summer dear.” Athena commented, eyeing my outfit and seemingly the proximity between me and Morpheus.
“Have I?” I asked, unsure of how else to respond to her. I could only imagine the sort of conversations they were all having about me—about Darce.
“Everyone has been eager to meet you.” I found that a little hard to believe.
Pressing my lips together, I suddenly felt so unsure of what to do with my hands, my feet—myself. Thankfully, there wasn’t time for awkward silence. The introductions continued without delay, despite my obvious discomfort.
“This is Dionysus and Aphrodite,” Athena continued, turning to her side, gesturing to the others with a smile. “Two of my dearest friends.”
“We’re everyone’s friends,” who I presumed to be Dionysus said. He adjusted the pair of clear glasses on the bridge of his nose before reaching for my hand.
“I am Dionysus.” God of Wine. He pressed his lips against my knuckles and winked at me. My eyes wandered over him, taking in the sharp line of his nose and jaw. As he pulled away, I noticed a faint residue of li
pstick on my hand, and noticed it matched the dark shade of maroon on his lips. He seemed to notice it and let out a nervous laugh, pulling a small rainbow handkerchief from his cream jacket.
“I apologize,” he said, lifting my hand carefully and began to brush the tint from my skin.
“It’s really okay,” I responded with a smile. “The color suits you.”
“Thank you,” he flashed me a grin. I was almost sure I could smell wine on his breath, though, it seemed more floral than anything else. I would bet anything he owned one, too.
“Giiirrrrlll,” Aphrodite said, bumping Dionysus aside with a small smile. “Your outfit, ooof.”
Oof?
I turned my attention to the woman beside Dionysus and sucked in a breath. She was, to say the least—glamorous. I felt somewhat envious of her. She had managed to put on a face that any professional makeup artist would fail to imitate. And her hair? Flawlessly curled and it looked as soft as Morpheus’s feathers. Everything about her screamed perfection.
“I’m Aphrodite,” she said, sliding her fingers through her barbie-blonde hair. Her teal-blue eyes were striking against the contrast of her hair. Along her neck, arms and chest, I could make out different shaped tattoos, and I suddenly couldn’t look away. There were hearts, stars and symbols, all colored with rich hues. Roses and wings adorned the tops of her shoulders. And on the top of her right hand, a compass splattered with droplets of pink, purple and blue. Her gown was gold and white—nearly matching Dionysus, but far more spectacular.
“Cat caught your tongue?” Aphrodite asked with a chuckle. By the low tone of her voice, I almost mistook Aphrodite as a man in women’s clothing. I studied her for a moment more, trying to figure out the mystery of her.
“Before you ask that question aloud,” she continued, flashing a smile. “Yes. I am everything and nothing. Love knows no gender, so I don’t have one.”
“Right,” I said with an awkward nod. I mean, it made sense. Darce did say that they could all be whatever they wanted to be when I had first wondered at his Korean ethnicity.
“You’re really an adorable thing,” Aphrodite smiled, flicking a curl over their shoulder. “Darce is a lucky man.”
“Indeed, I am,” Darce’s voice came from behind. I nearly jumped and turned, facing him. Warmth spread through my cheeks as I smiled. His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to his side.
“Welcome, my Lord,” Aphrodite said, as Dionysus lifted a wine glass from a nearby stewardess walking by.
“Here, my Lord.” Dionysus offered the glass. “A 1924 semi-sweet Pinot Grigio.”
“Just like the way I like my men,” Aphrodite said with a laugh. “Why don’t you get Summer darling a drink?”
“I’m not twenty-one yet,” I interjected, though I immediately regretted opening my mouth.
“Age is just a number, darling,” Dionysus said with a laugh. “. . . and we’re in Greece, ergo Europe. We do things a little differently here.”
Dionysus snapped his fingers and another stewardess, brunette and short, appeared with a tray of perfectly lined champagne glasses. Aphrodite passed me a flute and arched one perfectly drawn eyebrow.
“Bottoms up, love.”
I diverted my attention to Darce before tipping the edge of the glass against my lips. The champagne was strange, dry and sweet all at once. As I swallowed, it left a bitter after-taste in my mouth, making me grimace.
“Perhaps you’d like something sweeter,” Dionysus said with a laugh.
“Of course she would,” Aphrodite chipped in with a smirk. “I’m sure with someone like my Lord, she’s used to nothing but sweet things.” I saw the look they shared with Darce before offering to take my glass. My cheeks warmed, unsure of what exactly was being implied. I shook my head, drawing it closer against my chest.
“It’s not terrible,” I offered. “Just a taste I’ll have to get used to.”
“Just so,” Aphrodite said, raising their glass towards me.
“I believe we still need to greet Zeus and Poseidon,” Darce said, breaking the awkward air between us. He gave them a polite nod. “Excuse us.”
His grip around my waist only tightened as he carefully guided me away from the small group. I resisted the urge to take another sip of the bubbly liquid.
“They’re interesting,” I offered with a small, unsure smile. “Fun even.”
Darce snorted. “Fun, hmm?”
“Wouldn’t you agree?” I tried.
“They get even more interesting when it gets darker,” he chuckled. “This boat will come to life once the sun goes down, and we leave the dock.”
“So there’s going to be a party?”
“Most assuredly,” Darce replied. “Zeus and Poseidon like to have a good time, and with Dionysus here, it’s a sure thing.”
Morpheus snorted beside me. I had nearly forgotten he was there. He tipped his glass against his lips before shrugging.
“I’m not sure I’d call it a good time,” he said. “There’s likely a disaster bound to happen.”
By the sound of it, Morpheus had attended his fair share of parties with Dionysus present; he’d know best. I wondered when the last time Darce had attended a party of theirs—whether by choice or forced entertainment. It couldn't have been recent. I doubted he wanted to celebrate anything with his brothers with all that had happened regarding Persephone.
“As long as I’m not a part of the disaster,” I replied, darting my gaze between the both of them.
“Off to the belly of the beast,” Darce said with a strained sigh.
We approached a circular set of doors and came to pause just outside of them.
“Do you think Zeus and the others are all inside?” I asked, my teeth tugging nervously at my bottom lip.
“Yes.” I heard Morpheus whisper.
It was strange to think the most powerful Greek God was just behind a set of mundane doors. It didn’t live up to the hype of my imagination. When I pictured the three of us strolling into Mount Olympus, I saw pantheons of old, and cotton clouds washed in golden light. I definitely did not imagine us on a yacht, heading to sea. Surrounded by modern luxuries.
My stomach felt as sick as ever. I could put an end to this curse and go home with Darce if this went well. The pressure on my shoulders felt more real with each breath I took.
“Be ready.” Morpheus warned.
“Why?” I asked, swallowing a lump in my throat.
“Demeter isn’t here yet,” Morpheus explained to Darce, who went rigid immediately. “And Minthe is inside.”
I raised a brow, curiously. “Minthe? How do you know?”
He smiled as he shrugged again. “I left before you, didn’t I? When I arrived earlier, Tyche was telling me just how eager they are to talk with you.”
“I think they want to do more than just talk,” Darce said coolly. Whatever that meant. I tried not to think about it. All I knew was that the moment I had been dreading for several days had finally arrived. It was now or never. Darce reached for the door handle and it gave with a soft click. Watching him open the door was by far the tensest moment of stretched out time in my life.
“Ladies first,” he said, gesturing towards the large room. I rolled back my shoulders and took a step into the darkened room.
Chapter 8
My palms were sweatier than the time I snuck out of the house, to go to the homecoming dance with my first crush. I only hoped I didn’t spray anyone with nervous spit when I finally managed to open my mouth. At least Darce was here, and not fifteen-year-old Jake Jennings, who never stood a chance against my mother.
Relax. I tried to soothe myself mentally.
My heart was beating wildly in my chest. I was almost sure everyone around me could hear it. It was echoing in my ears. My mouth suddenly felt super dry. The champagne in my hand was a far cry from the water I was craving. I took comfort in the hand on my back and tried to focus on my feet.
One step. Then another. Then another.
“Welcome!” The man said. “Welcome aboard! I’m so glad you could finally sail the ocean blue on The Trident with us, brother.”
Poseidon. He had to be Poseidon.
“Hello, brother,” Darce replied with a nod. “It’s been awhile.”
Poseidon held his smile, crinkling the edges of his ocean-blue eyes and giving the appearance of dimples. I had come across frat boys like him before. The wolfish grin, groomed upbringing, and the zeal to pull off a party of great magnitude.
“It’s been far too long.” Poseidon said as he pushed his hands to his pockets. He had a practiced quality to his movements. Slow and lazy, yet graceful—elegant even.
“Not long enough,” Darce mumbled quietly enough, but flashed a forced smile, nonetheless. Poseidon ignored him and instead, diverted his full attention to me.
“And you must be the lovely Summer everyone has been telling me about. Come, meet my wife.”
He gestured behind him, to a woman with a warm, rich, chocolate complexion. Her ice-green eyes lifted to meet mine, and she smiled politely. I admired the low-hanging red and gold beaded dress she wore, which complemented the gold serpentine crown that rested above her brow.
“This is Amphitrite,” Poseidon continued. “But we all call her Meri for short.”
“Nice to meet you,” Meri said, lifting her red-gloved hand toward me and wriggled her jeweled fingers.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” I replied. I wanted to say something more, something unique even, but my brain was trained on forced niceties. I wondered how Persephone might have greeted them if she were here, and not me.
Gilded Ruins Page 7
